Friday

Five Favorite Old-School Meyhanes

A recent article in one of Turkey’s English-language newspapers, describing plans by Mey İçki, Turkey’s largest producer of raki, to introduce the anise-flavored liquor to Europe, left us both steamed and amused. As part of its efforts to promote the consumption of raki, it appears the company – along with an outfit called the Tourism Research Association (TURAD) – has gone into the lab and come up with something called the “modern meyhane.” In fact, the two have already opened up one of these newfangled taverns, a focus-group tested spot in Beyoglu called Safi Meyhane, which promises on its website that it was designed to be “compatible with international norms.” We almost choked on our leblebi when we read that. “International norms”?? Is this what we’ve come to, that this most Turkish of institutions, the meyhane, now needs to conform to “international” standards? Good grief. Continue…